


The Challenger

by Lonewolf365



Category: Alpha and Omega - Patricia Briggs, Z - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 17:29:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15514908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lonewolf365/pseuds/Lonewolf365
Summary: sometimes we have to lose something precious in order to gain something priceless





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> temptare vobis vinculum - i test your bond
> 
> This is all Patrica Briggs creations I just borrowed them for a bit..........

"Serge let me introduce you to my wife, Anna." The man was average in build with dark hair and eyes and not at all handsome in anyway. He was built like Bran more on the leaner side then either Charles or Samuel who were a touch more bulky.  
"Anna, as in the mysterious Omega."   
"I wouldn't call myself mysterious, but that's me" she said, he had offered his hand but she didn't take it. She didn't have the best control with skin to skin contact though she was getting better with it.  
"You are his wife, not his mate?"   
Charles hand was in the small of her back "he is my mate as well as my husband" she said   
"Good" he said, and that bothered her wolf just enough point it out to her.  
"Can I ask what brings you to Aspen Creek?" she asked.  
"Business with the Marrock and a chore that will require my full attention" his accent made him as hard to read as Asil could be, she thought.   
"Hey Anna, can I borrow you for a moment?" came Leah's very familiar voice from inside the house.  
"If you'll excuse me please?" she said with a smile, grateful that she had offered to help Leah if she needed it, something was off with this wolf and she resigned to tell Charles about it when she got a chance.  
And Serge bowed his head in acceptance with a wide smile on his face that bugged her just a bit more than it should have.  
She busied herself with the task Leah had set for her and chit chatted with the wolves that were in the house and then she felt Charles's power rise through the room and she paid attention to the words being said on the deck.  
"I refuse to discuss this any further" said Charles his voice carrying through the big houses open doors.  
"I refuse to let you refuse my challenge"  
"No" said Charles in a louder voice "you cannot have her she is mine." Charles hardly ever raised his voice, the fact that every wolf had their eyes on him was not a good sign.  
"Temptare Vobis Vinculum do you accept?" said Serge.  
When a room full of werewolves grows quiet it is never good, but when Charles cocked his head and growled "yes" you could hear a pin drop.


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as the word left his mouth, he could feel the magic come over him and it came for his mate bond. He tried to let his shaman magic protect it, guard it because he wasn't going to let her go couldn't let her go. But the magic burned through what protections he had and burned his bond away, all presence of his Anna was gone he tried to feel her in the pack bonds but she was gone there as well. Brother Wolf roared his anger, this one would die for what he had done.  
"What the fuck just happened" he heard her say but he kept his focus on Serge who was doing everything in his power to not look at him. His Anna only cussed when she was truly upset and he heard his father's words in his head Old magic my son it is a fight to the death if you want her back.  
He could do that it would be easy he could do it now.  
Yes now said Brother Wolf.  
"I thought we were above shit like this, but apparently not" he heard him sigh and say clearly "The challenger picks the form" said Bran   
"Wolf" replied Serge   
"Charles you pick the time and place"  
"Tomorrow 1 pm, the barn, it will be easier to clean up your remains there" he said his eyes still on Serge.  
"Traditional says a week" said Serge still not looking at him.  
So he let Brother Wolf out just a little bit more "Not going to happen."  
"Fine, I can deal with that. Remember the rules Marrock" said Serge "I don't want my prize tainted behind my back"  
"Prize what prize?" he heard Anna say, she hadn't figured it out yet and she knew more Latin then he did.  
"Anna will be sleeping here tonight." he heard his father say as he brushed past him. Brother Wolf settled down just a bit, his father would and could protect her.  
"What!"  
"I’ll explain it later Anna"  
"I have so much to teach you little wolf" said Serge with a smug look on his face and he was looking at Anna like she was already his.  
"No, explain it now!" he heard her demand.  
"No!"   
"You defy your Alpha, I will not tolerate this once you are mine" said Serge  
And Charles thought to himself he would be dead twice over with that sentence alone and it made him smile just a bit. He heard his Samuel mutter "Good luck with that" and it made Brother Wolf smile too.  
He saw Anna go for Serge out of the corner of his eye, felt her body go past his and knew that his brother's arm pulled her back and softly say "Ease up Anna, Da will explain it promise"  
Before she could free herself from Samuel's grip because he had taught her how to do just that his father said "Both of you leave until tomorrow there are preparations to be made"  
He walked calmly down to the steps of the deck and it took everything in him not to follow Serge to his car and kill him right then and there. But the one thing he couldn't do was look back at Anna when Brother Wolf made his feet stop at the trail that lead to his house because he knew that the look on her face would hurt worse than losing the mating bond had.


	3. Chapter 3

"I am so confused I thought mates were permanent" she said softly to Samuel who was sitting next to her at the table. Someone had handed her a cup of hot chocolate but she hadn't touched it.  
"Typically yes, but they can be challenged for, though most wolves dont do it out of respect"  
"Ok another thing I didn’t know, if someone could write a book that would be awesome" she sighed   
"I haven’t ever seen one done, just stories" said Samuel his hand on her arm.  
"Someone challenged me for Sarai he died, I enjoyed his death" whispered Asil from behind her his voice a little thicker and darker than normal.  
She turned around to look at him but he had sat down on the other side of her.  
"How many years ago was that?" asked Samuel  
"350 give or take"  
"Has the challenger won one of these things?"  
"The stories say yes, but it's just a story." said Bran "drink something Anna"  
She picked up her cup and put it back down because her hand was shaking to hard for her to keep the cup stable.  
"Could Charles have refused?"  
"Not really from my understanding" said Samuel. "If he doesn't fight he forfeits you."  
"Seriously if he doesn't fight he forfeits me?" she said suddenly very concerned.  
"Yes it means he is unable to protect you thus he doesn’t get to keep you" said Asil in that still quiet and scary voice "Charles will fight for you, you are a priceless treasure"  
"Did you seriously just compare me to treasure?" she was getting aggravated.  
"Mija, when will you realize that you are precious because of what you are"  
She looked at him confused  
He raised his hand and started counting with his fingers "You are female," he put one finger up "you are Omega" he put a second finger up "you belong to the Charles" he put a third finger up "That makes you a priceless treasure"  
"So he either fights or loses me" she said not really asking.  
"Yes"  
"How hard is it for werewolves to join the modern era, is it that fucking difficult"  
"Anna" said Bran "it's been around since before I was a werewolf."  
"But you knew about it?"  
"In story only"  
"How did Charles know about it"  
"Stories Anna, Da told lots of stories when Charles was young it made time go by faster"  
She put her head on Samuel's shoulder because he was closer and closed her eyes and tried to take a few breaths but they kept coming up short. She needed Charles she needed her center, her clarity or this wasn't going to work and she was going to lose it.  
"Anna can you do me a favor, can you pick up your drink" Samuels words were soft and she did as he asked. She picked up her cup and put it down again only because her hand was shaking harder than it had been just a few minutes before.   
"Da"  
She saw Bran watching her and she looked at him pleading for him to do something to fix it because she didn't know how.  
"Samuel, go to Charles's house and get Anna a change of clothes so she'll be more comfortable"  
And like that Samuel was gone and the warmth he generated was gone and she felt so much cold and alone.  
"The rest of you out of my sight," he said letting his power flow over the room and Asil and Leah scattered.  
"Come with me" said Bran taking her by the hand he dragged her to the study,   
"I need him" she said very softly, and she could feel her wolf take over.  
"Not now Anna, I need you to stay with me." and she felt his hand caress her arm. It was warm and helped her gain just a bit of balance.  
"Listen to me carefully. You cannot contact to him till after the fight, it will be considered a forfeit."  
"Ok" she said pushing her wolf down a bit so she could concentrate on what he was saying.  
"Bran why did the mating bond collapse?"  
"Magic dear child magic" and he touched her cheek because her eyes were welling up with tears  
"It’s like something burned it away it hurt like hell. There's nothing there I can't even feel him in the pack bonds"  
"I know Anna" his voice picking up a heavier accent then it usually carried "I know" as he pulled her into a hug.  
"When Samuel gets back, you can change is you wish, but you will need to be human for the fight. You have a role to play"  
She nodded her head in acknowledgement. She wanted to shift but she would hold out.


	4. Chapter 4

He needed something to focus on, something to keep Brother Wolf under control. Anna would be staying the night at his Da's, she needed clothes. She wasn't fond of the sweats that were stashed there especially since most of them were to big on her. So he pulled a back pack out of the storage closest where he put it after their last hike and went to the bedroom. He started loading the pack with things she might need including his chocolate brown sweater because Brother Wolf had insisted that he put it in. It didn't take him long to pack the bag the problem he ran into was how to get it to her. He was ready to call his brother when he knocked softly on his door.  
"Da sent me" he said his voice very serious.  
"Is she ok?"  
"Not really, she mad and upset and she was starting to shake when I left"  
She was going to pull an involuntary change, the shaking was a warning sign. She was normally tough as old shoe leather but when things hit they hit hard.  
"How long has she been shaking"  
"5 minutes before I Ieft"  
20 minutes he thought, his Da could hold it off for what he needed to do "Samuel, there's something you can do. Two things actually but first thing first. There's a guitar in the basement, I need to teach you something"  
"You think now is a good time for a guitar lesson when you and I both know what is going to happen?"   
Charles looked at him and let Brother Wolf out just a bit, he was more dominant then his brother but not by much. "Not the time right now Samuel"  
"Fine, what do you need to teach me" he said with an eye roll as he went to the basement to get the other guitar.  
It took him 20 minutes to teach him the chords and then another 30 for the words. Samuel was getting frustrated with him because while he was normally very good about writing things down, this song hadn't been written down for certain personal reasons. Mostly because he wasn't ready for her to know the song's lyrics yet. He had started writing it the day they had gotten home from the Cabinets. It was theirs and Brother Wolf was really not comfortable giving it to Samuel even if was for her.   
"Got it?"  
"Yes is there anything else?"  
"Yes, Samuel she is my world, I know you understand"  
"I do" and before he could say anything Samuel hugged him and just as quickly it was over and Samuel and the back pack were gone. And he was left to his thoughts which probably was not a good thing.


	5. Chapter 5

Samuel returned almost 2 hours later with a back pack and interesting look on his face.  
"Samuel it's a 15 minute run to their house from here, what took so long?" asked Bran a bit irritated.   
"You’re right Da, it's only a 15 minute run, but my brother had other ideas" said Samuel half irritated and happy.  
"What were you doing then?" asked Bran clearly aggravated at the delay.  
"Someone insisted I learn something." he said glancing at Anna.  
"You had to learn something?" she asked a hare confused what would Charles want Samuel to learn that had taken 2 hours.  
"Actually two things" he said holding up his fingers. "First that my brother wanted me to tell you that you are his heart and soul and he would never give you up without a fight.  
"He said that, really Samuel?" she said because that didn't sound like her Charles.   
"Not in those words but yes"  
"And for you to listen closely" he said picking up one of the guitars that seemed to be scattered around Bran's house.  
He started playing the song that had no words as she liked to call it. It was the song Charles played when she was stressed and all she knew was that her wolf loved that song.   
He would never sing the words and she knew it had words because she had asked. He had told her one time that the words would come when they were ready. Samuel was playing her song, and she let herself relax a bit, even without the mate bond he knew. And then Samuel started singing. The words were magical, it reminded her of the day the mate bond had fallen into place and the happiness of it.  
"It took you an hour and half to learn that song." said Bran after it was done.  
"an hour actually, Someone hadn't written anything down, makes things a bit harder." Samuel growled back at him, but she knew there was no threat. "And he wasn't exactly in a good place to teach it"  
The song helped her, just like he knew it would she was able to gather her thoughts. Once she had stopped shaking Bran and Samuel let her be. There would be no tears, none she told herself as soon as the door closed behind them. Charles would kill Serge and she would be home. She would not let the demons that were trying to take over have a foot hold. So why was she upset, her wolf was sure of something and it took her a second to process it.  
Suicide  
Death by werewolf! Serge was nowhere near as dominant as Charles everyone knew it. What better way to die then by the Marrock's killing arm. Stories would be told especially if he challenged him for his mate. She hadn't felt anything off about him when she had met him, but Charles always said she didn't use her nose enough and she hadn't touched him. She rummaged through the back pack and found his chocolate brown sweater the one that hung to her knees and smelled like him and smiled to herself she loved that man the song the sweater even if he wasn't here he knew how to make her feel better. She threw on a pair of leggings and some socks and went off a hunt for Bran.  
She found him in the living room with Samuel and Leah, Asil had apparently gone home when Bran had told him to scatter.  
"I know what he wants"  
"Who?"  
"Serge, death by werewolf"  
Samuel looked at her but she saw it click in Bran's face.  
"That makes more sense. Charles has a reputation among the wolves" he paused for a moment   
"There is no way that Serge will win against him especially in wolf form. Brother Wolf is"  
"Scary, fierce," said Samuel trying to find the right words to describe his brothers wolf  
"Deadly" said Anna  
"That" agreed Samuel  
"Did he feel off to you?"  
"No" but I didn't touch him either  
They stayed up later then they should have talking and only stopped when she started yawning.  
She slept in the downstairs bedroom the one Samuel had been using, Bran according to protocol guarding her door in wolf form. She didnt sleep well at all, nightmares took over her dreams. Serge beating Charles, Serge grabbing her arm the same way Justin had. She got out of bed and opened the door. Bran's wolf was laying flat on his side in front of the door  
"Bran would you mind, I keep having nightmares."  
The grey wolf with the white tipped tail got up and hopped on the bed. It wasn't Charles but it was better than nightmares. Bran snuggled down next to her and closed his eyes. She heard him say something rhythmic in nature in Welsh in her head and sleep came quickly without the nightmares that had been plaguing her.

 

She woke up with her arms wrapped around a werewolf that wasn't Charles, and that startled her straight out of the bed, which startled the wolf, who jumped straight up and off the bed too.   
"Sorry Bran, I didn't mean to do that"  
The grey wolf shoke himself off and stood by the door so she let him out of the room. Anna went over to see what he was looking at. It took her a minute but she finally saw what Bran saw. There was her red wolf just at the tree line watching the house.  
But in that time frame of just a few seconds Charles had faded back into the tree line and she couldn't see him. She might as well get dressed and get this day over with she thought to herself. She followed the voices that were chatting in the kitchen and dining room, made herself a bowl of cereal and sat down across from Samuel.  
"That's all you're eating? No wonder Charles gets fussy"  
"Normally no, but I'm not feeling like a big giant breakfast would be a good thing right now." she replied. "Unless you have a strong desire to clean up vomit"  
"Nope I'm on vacation"  
"Where did you sleep last night?"  
"In the pack room the couch pulls out" he said with a smile. "Da you should get something like that monster couch Hauptman has."   
She looked at him, he wasn't as handsome as Charles, no one was as handsome as Charles her wolf corrected her. He did not look like his brother at all, he looked like a rougher version of Bran which a bit more bulk and height not necessarily a handsome man but his charm carried him. He yawned. "hopefully I can get the room back tonight, the pull out couch sucks"  
Anna's face must have fallen because suddenly Samuel changed his expression.  
"Joking, sorry" he said as he ran his fingers through his hair with didn't help because it was overgrown and tousled from sleep.  
"You know I can fix that for you?" she said before eating a spoonful of cereal.  
He looked at her and raised and an eyebrow "Fix what?"  
"Your face"  
"Sorry Ari likes it just the way it is" he said with a lazy smile   
"Behave Samuel" said Bran quietly "Try to set a good example."  
"Speak of the devil, good morning Kara" said Samuel as Kara came into the kitchen.  
Anna watched as Kara glared at Samuel, as she sat down at the dining room table. Kara was not a morning person.  
"Why are you grumpier then normal?" asked Anna.  
"Because I get to miss everything because I have finals today and apparently tests are more important than something that hasn't happened in 350 years."  
"They are" said Samuel taking a sip of his drink "builds character."  
As soon as Leah left to take Kara to school, Bran said  
"Samuel I want you to call the pack, the sane ones anyway."  
"In what group are we classifying Asil?"  
"Sane"  
"You're calling the pack to watch?"  
"Yes but only as a precaution Anna, you are not leaving here."  
"You got a feeling Da"  
"No I trust Charles, I do not trust Serge."  
"Gotcha"


	6. Chapter 6

"$20 that it’s over in a 2 minutes" said Tag  
"$50 on 2 and half minutes that way he has some time to play and he will want to play" said Asil happily.  
"Na 30 seconds" said Samuel pulling out his wallet.   
They were standing around in the pole barn, someone had arranged the hay bales into a circular shape instead of their customary horse shoe.   
"Are you guys seriously betting on how fast a person is going to die? Sometimes I really wonder."  
They looked at her like she had 3 heads.  
"At least we are betting on Charles chiquita" said Asil  
$100 on 45 seconds came Bran words in her head  
"Seriously you too" she said looking at him, Bran just shrugged his shoulders but otherwise didn’t acknowledge her, he was standing in the center of the circle being very still.  
"Fine a minute fifteen,"  
"Nope, you can't bet, you're the bank" said Samuel as he handed her the cash in his wallet.  
"Fine" she rolled her eyes as she said it and stuck her hand out.  
"$50 on 3 minutes, if it was me I would play with him and make him suffer" said Leah her voice a bit more growly than normal.  
"Really, Leah you too" Leah didn't normally participate in the betting pool.   
"Special circumstances" she said with a smile and she laid her money down.  
"Who has the timer?"  
"Anna"  
She rolled her eyes "fine, I want everyone to understand that I am really uncomfortable with this"  
"Anna how long did it take for him to get Jean Chastel down" said Ethan the packs submissive behind her.  
"Max two minutes probably less"  
"Minute fifteen then" he said laying money in her palm to.  
"He did not kill him" said Serge from the other end of the barn.  
Anna turned and looked at him "I don't remember you being there?"   
"I was not but I have heard about it from friends who were"  
"Never trust a story." she said it was something both her Dad and Bran liked to say.  
"You are snarky I like it, you will be a fine mate"  
Anna just looked at him and then calmly said "who will kill you in your sleep if you win"  
And like a flash the Hungarian was next to her and she jumped.  
"You are an Omega you are a peace bringer not a killer. I need not worry about you."  
She opened her mouth to say something but Asil's hand quickly covered it. She had killed witches, wolves, fae and humans, killing him would be easy and she would not be bothered with his death.  
"You smell like him" said Serge wrinkling his nose. "The challenge is forfeited" his voice louder than it had been.  
"I can attest" and every head in the building turned towards to Bran "to the fact that she did not leave my sight and she had no contact with Charles. The fight is not forfeited" said Bran just as loud. Though she knew he could lie so well that only Charles and Samuel could tell, but this was the truth.  
"Then why does she stink?"  
"I had someone get her a change of clothes last night" he spit out.  
"Fine, I will burn them later" he said with a wave of his hand and he walked back to where he had been standing.  
"I never did like the Hungarians to arrogant for their own good ?" whispered Asil in a voice meant to not carry far.  
"Because the Spanish arn't" said Samuel just as softly.  
And that was the moment that Charles chose to come in, the air of the room changed. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Brother Wolf was in charge, his eyes were burning gold. He silently stalked to the circle. Instead of his usual faded jeans and t-shirt, he wore one of his silk dress shirts and a pair of dark wash jeans and he was barefoot.  
"She is mine" he did not roar it, but used every bit of his power and dominance to say it. It made Anna's wolf very happy and made everyone in the barn except her take a step back including Bran and Serge.  
"Not for much longer wolf" replied Serge but she could smell the fear on him.


	7. Chapter 7

"Gentleman please change" said Bran as soon as the clock struck 1.  
Charles changed without stripping his change was always fast and Brother Wolf was more than happy to do some mind games on Serge. He could have killed him right there but rules were rules he would wait. He was done before his Serge had a chance to finish taking off his shirt. His clothes lay shredded on the floor and he waited for the Serge to finish who surprisingly didn’t flinch but he wasn't looking at him either.   
He took a while to change sometimes a very dominant wolf hovering could slow it down When the other wolf stood and acknowledged his readiness Bran sent them to opposite sides of the defined arena.  
He felt the Marrock's power wash over the room, silence from the gathered wolves spoke volumes  
"We are here because a challenge had been issued by Serge Varga on the mate bond of Charles Cornick.   
"This is a fight to the death is this accepted"  
Both wolves nodded  
"The winner will get Anna Cornick is this accepted?"  
There were mummers in the crowd, those with mates were not happy he could feel it through the bonds.  
"Quiet!" said Bran, and the crowd grew silent again.  
"Anna?"  
"Do I have a choice" hearing her voice hurt him, she wasn't happy but she was tough she would be ok.  
"No" said Bran sadly  
"Then fine yes"  
Bran took a deep breath  
"At my signal the fight will commence." When his Da dropped his hand he went for him two leaps he had calculate while the Marrock had been addressing the crowd. Brother Wolf was not blinded by rage he used the time the Marrock was speaking to plan of attack. He body slammed the other wolf who was closer to Anna’s size then his own, and he grabbed his neck as he went down. He let go The other wolf tried to get up but he had broken something when he had hit though Charles wasn’t exactly sure.  
He looked at his Da  
To the death son  
He gave Brother Wolf this one he took the other wolfs neck in his mouth and bite down just as he had down to the others that had hurt his Anna. The vertebra broke under his jaws and then smashed to pieces. Death came quickly he didn't as a rule play with his prey no matter how much he wanted to. He pulled his head off and throw it across the room so there was no chance of anyone saying he hadn’t killed him. Brother wolf roared his pleasure.  
"This is a ancient custom that would have been better left in the past"  
He watched as Bran kneeled down and looked at the now headless body, he stood up and let his power wash over the building.  
"We will not speak of what has happened here, those of you with mates I know will understand. This wolf" gesturing at Serge's lifeless body "wanted death by werewolf and stories to be told of him. He is dead and does not get to have that honor are we clear."  
He looked at his pack and watched them bow their heads in acceptance including Anna. But Charles only half heartily listened to the Marrock, the mate bond hadn't come back he figured once he had killed Serge it would have come back but it hadn't, and from the look on Anna's face she didn't have it either.  
"Anna, you have to declare a winner" coughed Asil  
"In Latin my dear" said Bran "even if your pronunciation is off"  
"Fine, ego te Dominus in die victor esse Charles"   
As soon as those words were out of her mouth he felt the warm presence that was her wash over him. The final bits clicked into place when he heard her voice in his head.  
Asil called me a treasure  
You are my treasure.   
He changed because he wanted her in his arms and he couldn't do that as a wolf. She jumped in his arms once he was fully clothed and kissed him hard a claiming kiss that was pure and simple in its wants and desires. When she broke it off to touch his face because he knew she couldn’t help herself he softly whispered. "If you do that I will take you right here in front of everyone." She smiled at him and wiggled out of his arms.  
"Anybody get a time" asked Bran  
"27 seconds" said Ethan looking at Anna's phone that she had left on the hay bale  
"Ha I win." said Samuel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed.


End file.
